Reel.



.G.F.ROGERS. REEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. I911 Patented 'Apr. 2, 1918.

11v VENTOR GEORGE FP/YNC/J #06675 Muummv-lW cccc M GEORGE FRANCIS ROGERS, OF SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA.

REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed May 7, 1917. Serial No. 167,067.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANCIS Rooms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Monica, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a reel and particularly pertains to a wire reel.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a reel especially adapted for use in telephone line work and which is so constructed as to permit a roll of wire to be wound and thereafter readily removed from the reel without difliculty and to further permit other rolls of wire of various diameters to be mounted upon the reel, when desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide suit-able means for simultaneously advancing and retracting the reel posts in relation to the center of the winding plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide easily operated means for winding the reel plate and for releasing the same when it is desired to pay out a length of wire.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wire reel which is composed of few strongly designed parts not liable to become inoperative and which will act in a positive manner to produce the above results.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a View in side elevation illustrating the completely assembled wire reel, with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a View in plan illustrating the reel rods and the means provided for their radial movement in relatlon to the winding plate.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates a mounting frame upon which a wire reel 11 is securec. This frame may be a separate structure or may be a part of a wagon or cart. Secured to the framemember 10 is a base-block 12 which is formed with a bushing 13 extending downwardly through the frame-member and supported by a flange-plate 13 by means of woodscrews 14. The bushing is formed with a central bore through which a driving shaft 15 extends. The lower end of this member is provided with a beveled gear 16 in mesh with a driving gear 17 which is mounted upon a crank-shaft 18. This shaft is rotatably secured within bearings 19 and 20 fastened beneath the frame-member 10 and which maintain the shaft in a position substantially at right-angles to the driving sleeve. One end of the shaft is fitted with key-ways 21 permitting the gear 17 to be slid into and out of mesh with the gear 16. T his movement is accomplished by a shifting rod 22 which has a yoke 23 engaging a groove in the hub of the gear 17. The rod is mounted within guide-bearings and may be reciprocated by a suitable handle 24. A crank-arm 25 is detachably positioned on the opposite end of the shaft 18 and permits it to be rotated.

The opposite end of the shaft 15 extends through a winding-plate 26 and is bolted thereto by a fitting 26. This plate is here shown as circular in shape and as being disposed at right-angles to the sleeve. In this manner rotation of the crank 25 will act through the gears 16 and 17 to rotate the plate. A series of radial slots 27 are formed through the plate 26 and are disposed at right-angles to each other. These slots are provided with guide-blocks 28 which may be reciprocated along each of the slots and through which reel rods 29 extend. These rods are provided to receive the wire and it is around them that the roll of wire is formed.

In order that the rods may be simultaneously adjusted in relation to each other and the center of the winding-plate, they are each fitted with a threaded bearing 30 through which threaded adjusting shafts 31 extend. These shafts are mounted radially of the winding-plate and rotatably secured within bearings 32 and 33 therebeneath. Each of the shafts is fitted at its inner end with a beveled pinion 34 adapted to engage a driving pinion 35, when desired. The driving pinion is slidably mounted upon an upwardly extending cylindrical portion 12 of the base-block 12 and is splined thereto by means of a pin 36. The lower face of this pinion is formed with an inclined face adapted to bear against the inclined face of a circular wedge 37 which may be rotated by a handle 38 and will cause the gear 35 to advance into mesh with the pinions 3-1 and thereafter recede therefrom. Due to the fact that the gear 35 is held against rotation upon the base block 12 by the pin 36, the rotation of the reel by the crank 25 when the gear 35 is in mesh with the pinions 34f will cause the adjusting shafts 31 to be rotated to move the reel rods 29. A collar 39 is formed upon the base-block extension directly beneath the circular wedge and affords a rigid backing for the wedge so that the gear may be moved.

Mounted beneath the collar is a strap 10 to which a radial wire guide-arm etl is fixed. This arm extends outwardly from beneath the winding-plate and up alongside thereof. Its free end being formed with an eye 42 through which the strand of wire being wound or unwound may be guided. The opposite end of the wire is positioned within the slot e3 formed upon the central standard 15 which is rigidly secured to the windingplate.

In operation, when it is desired to wind a length of wire, the free end of the wire is positioned within the slot 43 and thereafter the gear 17 shifted to mesh with the gear 16. The size of the opening through the roll of wire may then be determined by rotating the circular wedge 37 to bring the gears 3 1 ant 35 into mesh. Rotation of the crank 25 will'then cause simultaneous movement of the adjusting shafts 31 and permit the reel rods 29 to be properly adjusted in relation to each other as the reel is rotated. After this operation has been completed the gear 85 may be withdrawn from mesh with the gear 34 and the winding operation con tinued without affecting the adjustment of the rods. After the reel has been finished the reel rods may be drawn toward each other by the rotation of the reel after the gear 35 has again been brought to mesh with the pinions 34: to permit the removal of the roll of wire, as will be understood. In case a roll of wire is to be unwoundit may be positioned over the reel rods and after they have expanded to grip the roll, as previously explained, the gear 17 may be thrown. out of mesh with the gear 16 to permit the winding-plate 26 to run idle and pay out the wire.

It will thus be seen that the reel here disclosed is composed of parts which are simple in their operation and are not liable to become inoperative, due to wear or breakage.

While I have shown the preferred construction of my reel as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes in the combination, construction and arrange ment of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A wire reel, comprising a winding plate, means for rotating said plate, a series of reel rods extending outwardly from the face of said plate, means whereby said rods may be simultaneously adjusted in relation to each other and the rotating axis of the plate, means whereby the winding mechanism may be rendered operative or inoperative, as desired, and means whereby the reel adjusting mechanism may be disconnected and rendered inoperative.

2. A wire reel, comprising a winding plate, means for rotating said plate, a series of reel rods extending outwardly from the face of said plate, means whereby said rods may be simultaneously adjusted in relation to each other and the rotating axis of the plate, means, whereby the winding mecha nism may be rendered operative or inoperative, as desired, means whereby the reel adjusting mechanism may be disconnected and rendered inoperative, and a guide member 'pivotally supported around the rotating axis of the reel and adapted to guide the wire wound thereupon.

3. A wire reel, comprising a base, a mounting block secured upon said base, a drive shaft extending through said mounting block, a winding plate secured to rotate with said drive shaft, a series of perpendicular reel rods extending outwardly from said plate, screw shafts upon which the reel rods are separately mounted and by which they may be moved toward and away from the center of the winding plate, a crank mechanism for rotating the drive shaft, means for connecting and disconnecting the crank means with the drive shaft, and means whereby said screws may be simultaneously rotated.

4. A wire reel, comprising a base, a mounting block securedupon said base, a drive shaft extending through said mounting block, a winding plate secured to rotate with said drive shaft, a series of perpendicular reel rods extending outwardly from said plate, screw shafts upon which the reel rods are separately mounted and by which they may be moved toward and away from the.

enonen rnANcIs ROGERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

